Every sports program and barbershop is filled with it—GOAT talk. Who’s the greatest of all time? Brady with the rings, Jordan with the edge, Gretzky with the records? Everyone has their pick, their stats, their highlight reel. But the greatest of all time isn’t a quarterback, a shooting guard, or a hockey legend. The real GOAT—the One who redefined greatness—is found not in a stadium, but in the Scriptures. Leviticus 16, walks us through the most sacred observance in ancient Israel: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It was the one day each year when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and seek forgiveness for the sins of the nation. The ceremony, considered as one sacrifice, involved two goats.
One goat was sacrificed “to the LORD,” its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. The second goat—the se’ir mishtale’ach, or “sent goat”—had the sins of the people confessed over it before being led into the wilderness, “to Azazel.” Azazel is a name of a demon, or even Satan himself, the name is also regarded as a mountainous region. According to the Jewish sage Mamonides, “Azazel” represented the extreme point of being outside the camp (physically and spiritually). William Tyndale, in translating Scripture into English, coined the term “scapegoat.” That’s where it comes from. And its meaning is heavy. It symbolized not only the cost of sin, but the removal of guilt and shame.
One goat died. The other was exiled. Both bore the burden of the people’s transgressions. Enter Yeshua—Jesus of Nazareth. The writer of Hebrews calls Him our great High Priest. But He was also the sacrifice. And more than that, He was the Scapegoat. He took on Himself the weight of the world’s sin, walked the lonely road to Golgotha, and bore the wrath of God in our place. Isaiah 53:4 says, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” And Psalm 103:12 reminds us what that means: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” It wasn’t a game. It was a rescue. And it wasn’t for a trophy—it was for your soul.
The ancient question puzzled Jewish sages: How can the sins of many be transferred to one? The answer was always just a shadow—until Jesus. He fulfilled both goats. He satisfied God’s justice, and He removed our guilt and shame. No highlight reel can match that. So the next time the GOAT debate fires up, just remember: the real G.O.A.T. carried a cross, not a ball. And He didn’t win a title—He won eternity. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Who do you say is the Greatest of All Time? Two goats on Yom Kippur: one sacrificed, one sent away with the sins of the people. Jesus fulfilled both—our atonement and our scapegoat. The real G.O.A.T.
